This invention relates to an apparatus capable of generating place information, in particular to a camera capable of recording an optical image of an object in a recording medium together with place information.
There has been known a camera internally provided with a GPS (Global Positioning System) which enables the recording of place information as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-70727. As well-known, this GPS is a positioning system of high accuracy which receives data transmitted from at least three artificial satellites by a receiver on the earth and measures a three-dimensional position of the receiver based on the received data. In the camera internally provided with such a GPS, place information corresponding to a photographed image can be automatically recorded in a recording medium. This frees a camera operator from a cumbersome operation of manually inputting a place information every time photographing is performed, thereby making the camera much more convenient to use. Further, since the GPS is utilized, the camera can be advantageously used not only in a particular area, but also all over the world.
However, in the camera having a built-in GPS, a power consumption increases since it takes a long time for the data reception of the GPS and highly complicated operations are necessary. This results in a larger built-in battery and thus a larger camera. Further, it is sometimes difficult to receive electromagnetic waves used in the GPS indoors or in a place where large buildings stand one after another. This causes the problem that place information cannot be obtained when necessary.